Improvement in trunk-fasteners



D. w. 'BROCKWAY. Improvement .in Trunk-Fasteners. No. H3,974. Patente'd ApriI25J87l.

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DAMON W. BROGKWAY, OF DOVER. ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND J ONA- THAN F. PARKHURST. OF BANGOR, MAINE.

Letters Patent No. 113,974, dated April 25, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNK-FASTENERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAMON W. BROCKWAY, of Dover, in the county of Piscataquis and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful improved Trunk-Fastener; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, which will enable others to make and use my invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 shows a front view of my invention.

Figure 2, a side view of same.

Same letters show like parts. i

As trunks are now constructed the ordinary and most common method of fastening them, in addition to the lock, is by means of leather straps and buckles strapping the lid and body of the trunk together, and intended to take the strain from the lock. It is impossible to strap them up tightly, as the leather will stretch more or less, and after being drawn up so as to allow the tongue of the buckle to be slipped into the hole made to receive it will loosen again to'a certain degree.

Other devices have been used to some extent, but they are too complicated and liable to get out of order to meet the requirements of the case.

My purpose is to provide a simple and cheap means of fastening which will remove the strain from the Iock of the trunk and keep the lid from being broken open by the hard usage incident to traveling.

1 do this by a metallic strap or fastening composed of twopieces hinged to each other. The upper piece is securely attached to the lid of the trunk, and the lower has a leather strap riveted or otherwise secured to it. It is provided with a hole, through which a staple, fastened to the trunk-body, passes when the lid is to be secured. The strap is then putthrough the eye of the staple, and the lower part of the fastening is by it retained in place; any strain upon the trunk-lid tending to, force it up and open being in a vertical direction, the staple and metal fastening receive it;

At f is seen the'staple, securely fastened to the trunk-body, with the strap 9 passing through it, the trunk-cover being represented as shut and fastened.

lhe operation of my invention is as follows:

The lid of the trunk being closed the hinged and movable portion-d of the fastening is pressed down and over the staple, which passes into the hole in d made for its reception, and far enough through it to permit the strap g to pass through its eye, thus pre-' venting the part d from getting off the staple.

In fig. 2 d is indicated in dotted lines as it would be when the trunk was to be opened, the strap being withdrawn from the staple and (I raised from its place.

This fastening may be attached to trunks on each side of the lock as straps now are, or it can alsqbe put onto the ends as an additional security against breakage.

A joint-ed iron strap may be substituted for the leather strap 9 to advantage, or a small bolt may he used for this purpose. v

In using my invention the trunk must be closed tightly, and the solidity thus gained makes it still less liable to damage.

Witnesses:

H. M. TYLER, G. M. TAYLOR. 

